Plate-printing machine



R. SATTLEFE PLATE PRINTING MACHINE Mar. 6, 1923.

Filed Aug. 4, 1920 4 sheets-sheet 1 w W m M J R. SATTLER PLATE PRINTING MACHINE 1920 4' sheets-sheet 2 Filed Aug. 4

Mar. 6, 1923.

Mar. 6, 1923.

R. SATTLER PLATE PRINTING MACHINE sheets-sheet 5 Filed Aug.

IIIbLI ll I I I l II A m V w Ymrww Mar. 6, 1923.

R. SATTLER PLATE PRINTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 4, 1920 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

UNETEE dTATES RUDOLPH SATTLER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

PLATE-PRINTING llIACI-IINE.

Application filed August 4, 1920. Serial No. 401,192.

To alt whom it may concern Be it known that I, RUDOLPH SATTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plate-Printing litiachines, of which the following is a specification.

Iify invention relates to printing, and more especially to printing from engraved plates by the use of power rather than hand operation; and has the object of a more compact design of the machine and increasing the rapidity of the work without impairing the quality. My invention also is related to my copending application Serial No. 451,678, filed March 12, 1921. Other objects will appear in the course of the ensuing description.

I attain these objects by the device illustrated, for example, in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a machine embodying my invention, together with a preferred support therefor;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine, with the support omitted, and with parts broken away for lack of space, and to reveal parts of the interior construction; 7

Fig, is a similar plan view of the machine;

Fig. is a similar rear-end elevation of the machine; and

Fig. 5 is a detail of the clutch and its controlling device.

The frame of the machine comprises a base 1; and upstanding sides 2 and 3 fixed to opposite longitudinal edge parts of the base 1. Struts or tie-rods 4 extend across between and are fixed to the sides 2 and 3 just to the rear of the middle a short distance down from the tops of the frames, and about half-way back from the front end to the middle, slightly farther up; thus making the frame a rigid structure.

The traveling bed 5 is mounted between the upper-edge part of the, frame sides 2 and 3. resting 011 rollers 6 near the front end and rollers 7 and 8 near the rear end of the frame; these rollers 6, T and 8 being in pairs and loosely mounted on studs fixed in and extending inward from the upper parts of the frame sides 2 and 3, and the bed having'opposite longitudinal downward extension 9 with straight lower faces to rest on the'smooth peripheries of the rollers. Also, there is a' middle pressure-roller 10 loosely mounted on studs 11 which extend in from the sides 2 and 3 with their end part fixed in eccentric bearings 12 rotatable in respective frame sides 2 and 3 and having slotted segments 13 outside the frame sides, with a screw 14 through the slot of each segment into the frame side; so that partial rotation of these eccentric bearings will adjust the pressure-roller 10 up or down, and the bearings may be clamped by the screws 14 to hold the roller 10 at the required height. This pressure-roller 10 is reduced in diameter midway of its length between the frame sides; and the bed 5 has opposite longitudinal pairs of downward extensions 15 with straight lower faces torest on thesmooth peripheries f the respective unreduced parts of the roller 10.

Each frame side 2 or ,3 has at the middle of its upper edge, preferably formed-integral therewith, a standard 16; These stand ards have middle openings down from their tops, the opposite sides of which openings form guides n which respective bearing blocks. 17 are slidable up and down, each supported by a spring 18 between its bottom and the bottom of the standard opening, and held clown by an adjusting screw 19 passing down through a cap 20 fixed on the top of the respective standard across the opening therein. These blocks, with their springs 18 and screws 19 at the opposite sides of the machine, support the D-ro-ller 21, of half-cylindrical shape, to rotate over the bed 5, having the transverse shaft 22 through it and extending into the block 17.

Between the end of this D-roller and the adjacent standard 16 (at the left in Fig. 4) a spur-gear segment 23 i fixed to the roller end, coaxial therewith; the angular extent of this segmentbeing slightly less than a half circle and being displaced over forwardly slightly (about one-half of one of the twelve teeth of the segment) with respect to the halfcircle of the D-roller periphery. A rack 24 is fixed on, the adjacent side of the bed 5, extending therealong for a proper distance, as will later be described, and havingits teeth upward, to mesh with the segment 23 as the rack travels backward under the segment and as the segment is rotated over forwardly, as will be described. A guard 25 is fixed along the frame side 3 at the front, over the rack 24; and a guard 26 is fixed to the standard 16, covering the segment 23.

At the opposite side of the machine (right side in Fig. 4) the D-roller shaft 22 extends out past the bearing-block 17. On this extension is a spur-gear 27,. rotatable on the shaft 22, next to the bearing-block 17, and, immediately out past this gear 27, a turning head 28 is fixed to the shaft 22. This turning-head 28 comprises a widened radial extension having a short circumferential slot 29 transversely through it (Fig. 2;) and the gear 27 has a turning-pin 30 fixed in it and extending out into this slot 29. At opposite ends of this short slot 29, the head 28 has openings out through its opposite edges, re'

duced in diameter in next to the slot 29, where these openings slidably recelve respective abutment-pins 31 to extend into the slot 29 against the adjacent sides of the turningpin 30. Each abutment-pin 31 has a head 81 inside the larger outer part of the turning-head opening, limiting projection of the pin 31 toward the pin 30; and springs 32 are compressed between these heads 31' and respective screw-plugs 33 screwed into the outer ends of the openings, withthe springs coiled around the pins 31 inside the openings.

The main shaft 34 is journaled transversely in bearings 34 and 34 in a pedestal 35 mounted on the base 1 near the frame side 2 (at the right in Fig. 4) near the rear end of the base. This shaft 34 has an extension out past the adjacent side 2, on which extension is fixed a spur-gear 36; and idler gears 37 and 38 operatively connect this gear 36 with the gear 27 on the D-roller shaft 2-2, these idler gears being loosely mounted on respective studs 39 fixed in and extending out from the frame side 2, and the gear 37 meshing with the gear 36 and with the upper gear 38, which latter meshes with the gear 26. The gears 27 and 36 are of the same diameter, so that the gear 27 will be turned on the shaft 22 at the speed of the main shaft 34; and preferably, the idler gears 37 and 38 are also of the diameter of the gears they connect, and all are proportioned so that the gear train thus made up is arranged along a straight line inclining forward and upward from the main shaft 34 to the D-roller shaft 22, as seen in 2. A suitable cover or guard 40 is fixed to the side 2-, around the edges and outer sides of v frame side 2, lnside thereof, from front to these gears.

The pedestal 35 is open inside, with the shaft 84 extending across the opening with its bearings in the pedestal at opposite Sides thereof; and between these bearings it has fixed on it the clutch member 41, and loosely mounted on it the worm-gear 42 (at right and left, respectively, in Fig. 4.) This clutch member 41 comprises a hub 43 over toward the side 2. and, next to the worn1-gear 42, an annular enlargement 4.4; and has, in its hub face, a key-way parallel with the axis and continuing as an opening through the enlargement 44 to the adjacent side of the worm-gear 42, which side has in its adjacent face a series of clutch-grooves 45 radially thereof, there being eight of these, equally spaced around the face, as herein shown (Fig. 2.) The clutclrbolt 46 is slidable in the key-way and opening of the member 41 (Fig. 5) with a spring 47 compressed against the end of the key-way over toward the side 2, in a bore extending for part of the length of the bolt 46 from this end; so that this spring presses the bolt 46 over toward the grooved face of the worm-gear, to enter any one of the grooves 45 of the latter. The radially outer side or top of this clutch-bolt 46 has a depression across it; and the clutch-finger 48 rides tangentially across the face of the clutch-member hub, past the periphery of which hub the bolt 46 projects from the keyway, with the depression thereapast and with the clutch-finger in the path of this depression as the member rotates. The side of the finger 48 toward the frame side 2 is flatly beveled from its front end to the passing place of this depression;; and this finger 48 is fulcrumed on the top of the pedestal to swing down'to its tangential bearing on the clutchmember 11111148, by the upward pressure on its rear extension past its fulcrum 49 of aplunger-pin 5O guided up and down in a barrel: .51 onthe back of the pedestal 85, as actuated by a spring 52 compressed between the bottom of the pin and the bottom of the barrel cavity. Preferably, the

rear corner of the end of the bolt 46, where it enters the grooves 45, 1s beveled, as is also the rear corner of the remote side of the depression in this bolt 46, where the beveled end of the finger 48 is received therein as the clutch rotates over toward the rear of the machine, and this finger has a corre rear of the machine, in bearings 54 and 55 near the front and rear ends respectively, depending from the top part of the side 2,with collars 56 at front and rear of the front bearing 54 limiting end play. The starting lever 57 is'fixed on an extension of this shaft 53 past the front of the machine up close to the side of the bed- 5; and just forwardly of the rear bearing 55 the arm 58 is fixed on this shaft 53 with its wristpin 59 extending back over the front lever 57 projects 'outwardly, and the arm.

58 projects inwardly of the machine, so that depression of the lever 57 raises the arm 58, and, therewith, the front end of the finger 18, disengaging the latter from the depressionof the bolt 46, where itlias been 1 restraining the bolt from entering the grooves 45 of the Worm-gear 42. f

The worm61 is fixed on the worm-shaft 62 journaled' in bearings at the front and rear of thebottomi part of the pedestal35,

with the worm 61 between the' bearings and under the worm-gear 42, and with this shaft 62 extending back and having a coupling 62 connecting it coaxially to the shaft of the motor 63'1m0unted0nthe base.

1 near the rear end thereof, insidethe ma chine frame.v This motor is adapted .to rotate the worm-gear 12 constantly, ready to rotate the main shaft 34 as. soon as the clutch-bolt 46 enters any one of the worm gear grooves 45, upon release from the finger .48 on raising of the latter by means of the starting lever 57 y a i The'bedI5 has near its rear end, depending" from the bottom of its middle part, a pair of ears 6 1, with a link 65 having its upper forward end part between the ears, and a pin across through the ears and link. The main lever 66 has atits lower end the fulcrum 67 in the base of the pedestal 35 near its back and the upper end of this main lever 66 is pivoted to the rear lower end of the link65. The main crank 68 is fixed on an extensionof the main shaft 3& past the pedestal 35 (to the left in Fig. 4) and its wrist 69 has a block 70 rotatable on it and slidable in a guide-slot 71 in the adjacent faceof the main lever- 66. Thus, rotation of the main shaft 34L swings this main lever 66-forwardly as seen in Fig. 2, with the lever 66 inclining forwardly and with the link 65 only slightly forward from longitudinal alinement with the lever 66; or swings this lever 66 backwardly slightly past the rear end of the machine frame, pulling the bed 5 backwardly therewith. \Vith the main shaft rotated over backwardly, as before described, the backward actuation of the bed is caused by the over travel of the main crank 68, andthe return by the under travel of this crank.

The bed 5-is held down on its rollers 6, 7, 8 and 10 by clips 72 fixed to the tops of the frame sides 2 and 3 and projecting over bearing-ledges T3 and 73 formed on the outer side of the rack 24 and on the opposite side of the bed 5, respectively;

the full travel of the .bed 5 forwardly or rearwardly. Longer clips 74; are similarly provided in the rear part of the machine.

The D-roller 21 has recesses along the ends of its semi-circular periphery, across the machine, occupied by clamp-bars 75 which'are hung on small links 76 pivoted to the ends of the roller 21 so that these bars 75 may be swung out of their recesses or thereinto. Set-screws 77 are passed up through the bars 7 5 near the respective links 76, to bind against the tops of the recesses and hold the bars 75 therein; being loos- .ened for swinging the bars out therefrom. These parts are preferably so arranged that the recesses are cut in from the cylindrical surface of the roller substantially on the roller diameter; the roller. being sufficiently greater than a half-cylinder to accommodate the parts as described. 1

I prefer to mount the machine on a suitable support 78, preferably a cabinet (Fig. 1) with a low part 79. on which the .machine' is firmly supported, and a higher part 80 having a fiat top atabout the height of the top surface of the'bed 5,thus forming a work-table very close to the right of the operator who stands at the front of the machine. Also, preferably, the opposite frame side 2 has a bracket 81 fixed .along near its top, witha leaf S2 hinged to it, to be lowered or raisedto provide a similar work-table at the left ofthe operator; both of these closely positioned work-tables being possible in the absence of the cumbersome hand-operating device on all handoperated plate printing machines, at one side. space for storage of plates, tools, supplies and the like, within very convenient access of the operator. A bar 83 is fixed across the front of the machine at the tops of the sides 2 and 3, binding these together at thefront, and affording a supportfor a vertical guide-way 8%, on which a bracket 85 isv clampedat'any suitable height, to hold a suitable heater, such as thQ'tLlCOhOl lamp 86 (Fig. 1) at a proper distance below the bed 5, as is required in machines of this character, to maintain a proper consistency of the ink on the engraved. plate placed on the bed.

Operation: Suitable backing is clamped around the D-roller 21 by means of the clamp-bars 75. The engraved plate A islaid on the bed 5. with its engraved side up. inked, andthe stock B laid on the plate A. Without any positive stopto gauge the position of the paper stockB on the plate A: this being effected inerely by drawing a line on the plate A to mark where an edge of the stock 13 is to be placed; This is done while the bed 5 is stationary in its forwardmost. position as shown in the drawings. The starting lever is then depressed, with- The drawers of the cabinet aifonl drawing the clutch-finger 48 upward from the depression in the clutch-bolt 46, upon which the spring 47 quickly pushes the bolt over against the grooved face ofthe wormgear 42. This worm gear being constantly rotated backward by the motor 63, one of the clutch-grooves 45 quickly meets the spring-pressed bolt 48, receiving it and now causing the clutch-member 41 and main shaft 34 to turn along with the worm-gear.

This starts the main crank 68 upward from its position at right angles to the main lever 66, sliding the block 70 up therealong, starting this lever 66 very slowly to swing upward and backward, with gradually increasing speed as the crank 68 reduces its angle to the lever 66. The upward and backward'swinging of the lever 66 pulls the bed 5 backward, through the medium of the link 65, swinging the link 65 from its almost complete alinement with the lever 66 and thus gradually increasing the speed of this link transmission as the link increases its angle to the lever. The two gradually ac celerated transmissions are thus compounded, resulting in an extremely slow starting of the bed 5 backward, without appreciable impact, so that the stock B is not displaced from its correct position on the plate A, as would be the case upon too sudden starting of the bed, due to the inertia of the stock. Gauges or stops to resist this shifting of the stock, as in other engraving and printing, are notpermissible in plate printing, as they would have to travel under the D-rollerwith the stock, preventing the pressure on the stock, as is well known in the are of plate printing. Hence the special provision .for very'slow initiation of power driving, to guard against the stock displace ment, as is effected in a hand-driven plate printing machine only with great care by a skillful operator.

The described rotation of the main shaft 34, when the clutch is allowed to operatively engage, rotates the gear 27 loose onthe D- roller shaft 22, through the medium of the gear train 37, 38, in the opposite direction, or forwardly of the machine. By the en gagement of the turning-pin 30 with the forward abutment-pin 31, this gear 27 rotates the D-roller forwardly and downwardly to meet the rearwardly traveling bed 5, and with the D-roller rotates the segment 23 forwardly and downwardly to meet the rack 24, traveling backward by its attachment to one side of the bed 5. This rack 24 and the segment are so proportioned that the segment 23 will begin to mesh with the rack 24 at a time when the bed5 and the rack 24 carried thereby have attained a Speed very closely approximating the lineal velocity of the seg ment teeth. This approach of the segment 23 to the rack 24 is due to the pressure of the spring 32 pressing backward on the forward abutment-pin 31; but the bed and the rack the rack speed will now determine the speed of D-roller rotation, with either the forward or rearward abutment-pin spring 32 yield ing, accordingly as this rack-determined rotation of the segment and attached D-roller and turning-head 28 is slower orfaster than the rotation of the gear 27, constantly driven through the gear train from the main shaft 34.

The D-roller now being driven by the rack .24 at the varying speed of the bed 5, and the D-ro1ler radius being nearly the pitch-radius of the teeth of the segment 23 and the sur face of the bed being approximately in the plane of the rack pitch-line, the D-roller periphery and bed surface will come together with the upper surface or back of the stock Btraveling'at the same lineal velocity as the periphery of the D-roller backing, so that there will be no slippage of the stock, on the plate A. It will be understood that the parts are carefully proportioned and positioned so that the actual contacting surfaces, that is, the D-roller backing surface and the stock back or upper surface, are in the segment pitch-circle and rack pitch-line, respectively, to insure the result just stated.

Continued operation now draws the stock under the D-roller 21, with thepresSureroller 10 reinforcing the bed thereunder, subjecting'the stock to the positive pressure of the impression screws 19- on the D-roller blocks, pressing the stock against the engraved plate and printing it therefrom, as usual. The bed will reach a maximum speed at the middle of the main lever swing, when the main crank and main lever are parallel and the link 65 is approximately at right angles to the main lever; and the rack 24 is preferably so proportioned in length and so positioned on the bed that this will be at about the middle of the period of rackand-segment meshing. Thus, the forward abutment-pin 31 will be pressed onto its spring 32 during the first half of the travel, the less as the travel proceeds, until at mid travel neither pin 3l'will be displaced; after which the rear pin 31 will be pressed onto its spring 32, the more as the last half of the travel is completed. It will be understood that this abutment-pin construction, constituting the gear 27 what may be termed a floating gear, is designed wit-h ample capacity, as to length of turning-head slot and length of abutment-pins, to fully compen sate for the discrepancy between the speeds of the constant-speed gear 27 and the variable-speed D-roller at all stages of the operation; and the proportion of the gear 27 to the segment 23 permits the first impact of gear and segment teeth to be inappreciable, due to the close approximation to uniformity of lineal velocities of the two at the moment of initial impact. The strength or weakness of the abutment-pin spring 82 is therefore not a material factor in this operation; so that this spring 32 may be amply stiff to closely govern the premeshing speed of the segment 23, according to its design, to make the desired approachto the rack, uniform in speed with the latter;

When the main lever 66reaches the backward limit of its swing, and the main crank 68 starts downward, the return of the bed begins slowly and gradually increases to mid position and then gradually decreases until the platen reaches its forwardmost position again; but this return will be much more rapid than was the working stroke. because the crank 68 is now actingon the lever 66 much closer to its fulcrum 67. In the last stage of the working stroke, or backward travel of the bed, the rack 2tpasses beyond the segment 23, after which the D- roller is rotated onward and upward through the medium of the gear 26 and forward abutment-pin 30; the D-roller reaching its .uppermost position again as the bed 5 reaches its forwardmost position again After the momentary depression of the starting-lever 57, releasing the clutch-bolt 46, the spring 52, pressing the plunger-pin 50 up against the rear projection of the clutch-finger 48, holds the forward part of this finger 48 down on the periphery of the clutch-member hub e8, throughout the revolution of the clutch-member. As a single rotation of the main shaft is completed, bringing the parts back to their initial positions as just described, the beveled front end of the clutch-finger 48 is received in the beveled rear part ofthe depression of the up coming clutch-bolt 46; and by thetime complete return of these parts is effected,

the finger has withdrawn the bolt from the clutch-groove L5 and the beveled rear corner of the bolt depression sidehas abutted the shoulder of thefinger 48, and the main shaft 34 is instantly stopped, so that the bed 5 and D-roller 21 now remain ready for the next operation, upon depression of the starting-lever 57. The machine will thus make one impression, and then stop, each time the operator depresses the lever 57, without liability to start before the operator is ready, and without any attention of the operator to graduallyinitiating the D-roller and stock contact, as in a hand press. Not

only is the initiation of printing pressure bed at both ends of the stroke is gradual, without shock or-noise, and the return stroke, during which the operator must wait, is very rapid. A a

The compactness permitted by the power operation permits a more convenient instal-v eit the with s re? and closely accessible work-tables shown in Fig. l, which results in much more rapid work by the operator. The usual handoperated machine requires a very substantial mounting on the floor, to provide the reaction for the manual turning of the large hand-wheel with which such machines are driven, this mounting and the hand-wheel being cumbersome, and the latter preventing the close positioning of a work-table to the side of the machine (usually the right-hand side) which it is on. The result of the en tire construction of this power machine is, therefore, to increase the quality and quantity of the output.

Modifications may occur in adapting the invention to various uses, or under different conditions, or as matters of preference, and therefore, while certain constructional details are deemed preferable in connection with my invention, and I have shown and described these rather specifically in elucidating the construction and use of my in vention, as is required, I do not wish to be understood as being limited to such precise showing and description, but

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the character desiribed, a rectilinearly reciprocating bed to carry a printing plate with stock thereon, segmental rotary pressing means to press said stock thereon during reciprocation of said bed in one direction and to withdraw from said bed during reciprocation thereof in return direction, means whereby said bed rotates said pressing means in an intermediate stage of its reciprocation in the one direction, and mechanism concurrently reciprocating said bed and rotating said pressing means comprising an operative connection yielding to adjust itself to the rotation of said pressing means by said bed.

2, In a machine of the character de scribed, a frame comprising an elevated support, a rectilinearly reciprocating bed on said support, to carry a printing plate with stock thereon, standards extending up from said frame at opposite sides of said bed, segmental pressing means journaled I said bed rotates said pressing means in an slow and gradual; but the stoppage of the intermediate stage of its reciprocation in one direction, and mechanism whereby said bed reciprocating mechanism rotates said pressing means, yielding-to the rotation of said pressing means by saidbed.

3. In a machine of the character described, a frame comprising an elevated sup 19 s wease rear-rearin b said support, to carry a printing plate with stock thereon, standards extending up from said frame at opposite sides of said bed, segmental pressing means journaled transversely in said standards to press said stock on said plate during reciprocation of said bed in one direction, mechanism having an operation to reciprocate said bed, located within the lateral limits of said frame and comprising a clutch under said support, manually actuated to cause said operation and automatically actuated to end said operation after a single complete reciprocation of said bed, means whereby said bed rotates said pressing means in an intermediate stage of its reciprocation in one direction, and mechanism whereby said bed, reciprocating mechanism rotates said pressing means, yielding to the rotation of said pressing means by said bed.

I. In a machine of the character described, a rectilinearly reciprocating-bed to carry ,a printing plate with stock thereon, segmental rotary pressing means to press said stock thereon during reciprocation of said bed in one direction, a rack secured to said bed substantially parallel with said reciprocation, a segmental gear coaxially fixed to said pressing means, to mesh with said rack during an intermediate stage of the bed travel in one direction and to unmesh therefrom during return travel and during a preliminary stage of said travel in the one direction, means to reciprocate said bed at a variable speed, and an operative connection to rotate said pressing means until said segment meshes with said rack, and then to yield to adjust itself to the variable bed-speed of said rack.

5. In a machine of the character described, a rectilinearly reciprocating bed to carry a printing plate with stock thereon, rotary pressing means to press said stock thereon during reciprocation of said bed, a crank, a lever operatively connected to said bed, and connected to said crank whereby it is swung by said crank to reciprocate said bed, a rack secured to said bed substantially parallel with said reciprocation, a segmental. gear coaxiallyfixed to said pressing means, to mesh with said rack duringan intermediate stage ofthe bed travel in one direction and to unmesh therefrom during return travel and during a prelimi nary stage of said travel in the one direction,

and an operative connection from said crank to said pressing means to rotate said pressing means until said segment meshes with said rack, and then to yield to the variable bed-speed of said rack.

6. In a machine of the character, described, a rectilinearly reciprocating bed to carry a printing plate with stock thereon, rotary pressingmeans to press said stock the e n arin r rrew i e a sa P es,

a crank,a lever operatively connected to said bed and connected to said crank wherebyit is swung by said crank to reciprocate said platen, a rack secured to said bed substantially parallel with said reciprocation, a. segmental gearcoaxially-fixed to said press ing means, to mesh with'said rack during an intermediate stage of the bed travel in one direction and to unmesh therefrom during return travel and'during a preliminary stage of said travel in the one direction, a second gear coaxial with and rotatable relatively to said pressing means, an operative connection from said crank to said second gear, and yieldable means for engagement between said second gear and said pressing means to roa crank, a lever operatively connected to said bed and connected to said crank where by it is swung by said crank toreciprocate said platen, a rack secured-to said bed substantially parallel with said reciprocation,

a segmental gear coaxially fixed to said pressing means, to mesh with said rack during an intermediate stage of the bed travel in one, direction and to unmesh therefrom during return travel and during a preliminary stage of said travel in the one direc tion, a Second gear coaxial with and rotatable relatively to said pressing means, an operatlve connection from said crank to said second gear, an element fixed to said pressingmeans, and mutually engaging projec tions on said second gear and said element, respectively, one of said projections being yieldable.

p 8. In a machine of the character de scribed, a rectilinearly reciprocating bed, to carry. a printing plate with, stock thereon,

rotary pressing means topress said stock thereon during reciprocation of said platen, a crank, a lever operatively connected to said bed and connected to said crank where by it is swung by said crank to reciprocate said platen, a rack secured to said bed substantially parallel with, said reciprocation,

'a segmental gear ,coaxially fixed to said pressing means, to mesh with said rack durmg an intermedlate stage of the bed travel in one direction and to, unmesh therefrom during return travel and during a preliminary stage of said travel in the one direction, a gear element coaxial with and rotatable relatively to said pressing means, an

operative connection from said crank to this element, .a second element fixed to said pressing means, a projection on one of said elemerits, projections on the other one of said eleinents, engageable with the one projection upon relative rotation of the elements, and yieldable means whereby there is a yielding of one element relatively to the other, in one direction of rotation or the other, accordingly as the one projection and either one of the two projections are engaged together upon variation between the speeds of said pressing means and said crank.

9. In a machine of the character described, a traveling bed to carry a printing plate with stock thereon, rotary pressing means to press said stock thereon at each travel thereof, a crank-and-lever mechanism to cause travel of said bed, a rack-andsegment mechanism to rotate said pressing means during part of the bed travel, and a floating-gear connection between said crank-and-lever mechanism and said pressing means, to rotate said pressing means during the remaining parts of said bed travel.

10. In a machine .of the character described, a traveling bed to carry a printing plate with stock thereon, rotary pressing means to press said stock thereon at each travel thereof, a crank-and-lever mechanism to cause travel of said platen, a rack-andsegment mechanism to rotate said pressing means during part of the bed travel, a floating-gear connection between said crankamd-lever mechanism and said pressing means, to rotate said pressing means during the remaining parts of said bed travel, a motor, and a clutch-controlled operative connection between said motor and said crank-and-lever mechanism.

11. In a machine of the character described, a frame, a bed rectilinearly reciprocatable on said frame, pressing means on said frame above said bed, mechanism for reciprocating said bed, confined within the lateral limits of said frame, an operative connection from said mechanism to said pressing means, confined close to one side of said frame, and a support for said frame comprising a low part under said frame and a higher part with a flat top substantially in the horizontal plane of the upper surface of said bed, extending close to one side of said frame.

RUDOLPH SATTLER. 

